


Some Body to Work With

by BurningFox6



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Cute, Gen, Gift Giving, Not inherently shippy but feel free to interpret it that way, postgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:07:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29660097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BurningFox6/pseuds/BurningFox6
Summary: Zagreus decides to bestow a gift on their lovable little maid far greater than any nectar. Something she's been missing for quite some time now.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 40





	Some Body to Work With

**Author's Note:**

> **Just a quick little fic for the game I've been completely addicted to lately. Because you can never have enough happy Dusa content.**

Another day, another allotment of chores to do. At least, Dusa thought it was another day. It was kind of hard to tell down here in the underworld. But Zagreus had come through from the blood pool several times recently, having left again not too long ago, so surely that added up to a day… right?

Right! Probably. It was an unreliable way to tell time, but it was a way. She racked her brain as she moved across the lounge, remembering all she had to do. Help cut the fish, brush Cerberus’ fur, trim some branches in the Queen’s garden, fluff the pillows, polish the armaments, mop around the blood pool, don’t bump into Prince Zagreus…

AH! He was right ahead of her! 

She quickly stopped herself before they collided. “A-Ah! Prince! You’re still here?!” she squeaked. “Usually you, you talk to everyone for five minutes and maybe order a renovation or two before you’re off testing security again. Not that it’s bad you’re still here! N-no way! You just… surprised me. That’s all!”

His jaw set thoughtfully. “…Is my schedule really that predictable?” Zagreus pondered, considering that maybe he should rest around home a bit more now that his treks to the surface were less urgent. “No matter. I’ve come to tell you your claim with Father was approved.”

Dusa’s face scrunched up in confusion. “B-b-but I never filed a claim! And I never would! Your father’s been so kind to me, giving me this job, insisting my work’s tolerable… tolerable! That’s high praise from him! I-I could never ask for anything more…”

“I figured. That’s why I filed a claim for you.”

Dusa’s jaw dropped. “Y-you did? …And he approved it?”

“As I recall, his exact words were ‘this is the greatest waste of an appeal I’ve ever been forced to lay my eyes upon’. But let’s just say he owes me a favor or two. I encouraged him to reconsider its worth.”

“You did all that… for me?”

“Why not? You’ve worked dutifully for us long enough. I’d say it’s about time we gave something back.”

Her non-existent heart tittered with joy, knowing her work was appreciated. Then she realized he hadn’t quite said what he’d requested yet. “And… what did you ask for?”

“Well… call it presumptuous, but I felt being just a head must be rather taxing. Even Skelly has some bones to rattle around.” His arms spread, encapsulating the grand gesture. “So I suggested we conjure up a new body for you. If that’s what you wish, of course. There’s no time limit now that the claim’s been granted. Hopefully that’s not too out of line?”

Her jaw dropped even further. “…Yes? No? M-Maybe?” she stammered, trying to process just what was being offered. “I haven’t had a body in ages. I, I don’t know if I’m ready to have one again! What if I trip and fall? What if I trip and fall on _you/i >? I-I-I’ll die of embarrassment! I’ll die AGAIN!”_

“Relax, Dusa,” Zagreus soothed. “Take a deep breath.”

“B-But I don’t need to breathe…”

“Humor me.”

“A-Alright… alright… haaaaa… hoooo… haaaa… hoooo…” She blinked. “Huh. I’d forgotten what air tastes like. …It’s kind of stale down here.”

“Yes, I do believe that’s the stagnant aura we call home. Now then, there’s just one problem. Father pointed out your old body is long gone, having been detached from you for so long. Fortunately, being a shade, a new one is rather simple to make. You’ll just need to decide what you want.”

“This is… this is a lot to take in!” And it was. She’d arrived here a head ages ago, and had long since forgotten being anything but. “I’m just not sure if I can accept…”

“Well, don’t feel forced to, I suppose. But you could certainly get a lot more work done with hands.” He reached to the side to grab a couple pomegranates from the counter, proving his point. 

It wasn’t a decision to be made on the spot, but Dusa knew if she didn’t decide now it’d be haunting her until she did. It’d distract her from work! She certainly wasn’t about to let that happen. 

She weighed the pros and cons. She could work better, fit in better, relive old sensations, and most importantly, she’d be accepting a gift! From Zagreus! It’d feel like she was insulting him and the effort he put in if she said no. And the cons were… it was one of those gifts that were too big to accept? Pffbt. It wasn’t like he was giving her something tacky like an unlifetime supply of ambrosia or a vacation to the Elysium fountains. He was offering to change her world, give her back what she’d lost long ago.

Who could say no to that?

“You’re… you’re right!” she finally admitted. “I could triple my output! And… truthfully, I guess I’ve kind of, sort of, _maybe_ missed being able to feel the ground…”

He smiled, pleased an argument with his father hadn’t gone to waste. “I can imagine. So when you’ve got some spare time, shall we see about getting you that body?”

“S-spare time?” She hadn’t heard that phrase in years. “I-I’m sorry, Prince, but I don’t think I have an opening in a long, long… long long long… long, long, looooooong time…”

“What’s that? You have an opening right now? Well that’s a happy coincidence.” Zagreus gave her a smirk, gesturing for her to follow him. “Come, let’s get it done, then.”

“B-but… but but…” Medusa drooped and sighed. Zagreus could be cheeky sometimes. She just hoped Hades didn’t notice her absence and lambast her. “Yes, your highness…” she answered meekly, hovering after him.

* * *

“I… don’t think this suits me.”

A couple smaller shades put in charge of creating parts from shadow hovered around her. Typically they patched up damages a soul took in life, or helped undo an old mortal’s age. Creating a whole body from scratch was a rare process and they… weren’t quite getting it.

For their latest attempt, Dusa was on top of the neck of… a dog. Zagreus fought hard to keep his laughter inside as her tail drooped sadly. “Just turn me to stone right now, please...”

The ghosts were showing her some options, but so far, none had been remotely close. It wasn’t clear if the shades were just messing with her, inexperienced, or were jealous she got a proper body while they didn’t, but it’d been like this for a while. She’d been on top of louts and thugs, had bodies belonging to elders and babies, and now she was furry and humiliated.

“I don’t know,” Zagreus chimed, hiding a chuckle by coughing in his fist. “I’m sure Cerberus would appreciate a new playmate.”

Thoughts of the monumental hound wanting to roughhouse with her threatened to send her into a panic attack. “ACK! Change it, change it now!”

“But seriously, good shades…” Zagreus continued, addressing the little green ghosties. “When she said her ideal body was a bit less human, I doubt this is what she meant.”

“Y-Yeah! Something more… scaly!” Dusa added.

Nodding, the spirits swirled around her again, reweaving the form under her with a purple glow. This time, well, she got what she wanted. Sort of. She was a snake.

“Agggh! That’s still not… not… w-wait!” Her tail rattled as a thought came to her. “You’re on the right track! Like this, just more… human. Like, like a human and a snake mixed!”

Another nod, another swirl. And the next time they were done… they got it right.

She was close to Zag’s height, but that’s where the similarities ended. Her skin was green scales, tapering down to a long tail instead of legs. Yet her upper half was human and feminine, arms ending in proper hands, garbed in the typical Grecian servant attire with an underworld touch – dark tunic belted around the waist, a red cloak draped over her shoulder marking her as a maid of the house of Hades. They’d even thrown in some gold highlights so her outfit wouldn’t be too plain.

It was a stunning change. Already Zagreus found it weird he could see eye to eye with her without having to look down much. But judging from the way she swished back and forth trying to peer at herself with wonder, it was a welcome change.

Of course, a second opinion was needed. “How… um… i-if I may ask, Prince… how do I look?” the gorgon asked, nervously clutching her skirt.

“Green. But all humors aside… it’s very you. I imagine it’s not too far from your old body. In such case, I dare say you were a looker in life.”

Technically, she was, if he meant those looks turned people into statues. But with her powers rendered mute by death, she never had to worry about that again. She could just be ecstatic that not only did she have her body back, someone else liked it.

“Eeeee! Thank you! Thank you so, so,, SO much!” She slithered over and planted a big, thankful smooch right on his cheek. And then her hair joined in, dozens of snakes unraveling and wriggling with joy as they kissed him over and over.

She reached up to try and swat them away. “Stop it! Stop it you guys! You can’t just harass the Prince like… like… l-like I just did.” She leaped back, bent low with hands clasped. “Ohmigoshohmigosh I’M SORRY, SO SO SORRY! I was out of line! I don’t think I was ever in line to begin with!” she apologized pitifully.

Having her body back certainly didn’t change Dusa any. “It’s quite alright. It’s certainly not the messiest way I’ve been thanked,” he explained, recalling the times Cerberus would leave him covered in drool with a single lick. “More importantly, it seems you’re adapting to your new self quite well.”

She paused, standing back straight and looking down at the hands she’d been waving about so easily. “I… I guess you’re right. I guess once you have it back, it all comes back to you. Like it’s… something you just know.”

“All I know is it’s a delight to see you so happy, Miss Dusa. I trust you’ll put this gift to good use?”

She grinned a fanged little grin, tucking a loose snake back into place and quietly glad she could do that so easily now. “Absolutely. I’ll never forget this, for the rest of my afterlife.”


End file.
